Here it goes, here it is. The power of business is so important now, that the way we drive “relations” is no really efficient confronted with private efforts, taking markets, shares and business stakes. Long is sometimes the road for public diplomacy but the real angels now are more blue boss than politic icons. When you stare for example at Indian area and the crossroad to complicated relations with Pakistant, Russia and China in the same zone, we saw the importance of the last first trade exposition, focused with the influence of business private sector in the tough situation in stranger policy. More and more, economy and trade lead the diplomatic relationship in this area, and drive the international scene. Why?

The enforced moves with several organization (world trade, trade chambers, huge world companies with stakes strategy…) generate an interesting return on “investment”, more efficient than slow diplomatic shifts. the development of local markets, even if local represents in these areas, very important zones and high potential. Because trade shows real issues and useful outcomes to people, companies and organization while politic swamp into long and whispered relations, that bring on difficulty to advance safe, with no backtricks.

We can reinstall the famous quote “think global BUT act local”. Any fair and peaceful matter is now a kind few local acts of smart trade improvements that makes the wheel turning. And the most influencer as a ministry may be the trade minister of any regular and democratic country. Average class of citizen is growing fast in any corner of the world and is hungry for consumption, modernity and innovation. They in fact lead the growth and make the things happen: buy, share thoughts and opinions faster than any politic entity. The more we believe in our faith to local innovation and the fewest trade act, the more we step forward in a kind of silent diplomacy, finding its path to more exchange and democracy. Fair trade has been created as a volontee movement to go fairest and create fast, cheap and useful trade places in local, where politics never went anymore. Forget about stocks, think deals and moreover, connections between people, things and fair currency. And when polls comes in, be careful of “useful poll”, the one that creates employment and justice throughout the world.

Interesting conference about social exploring all projects for both social and growth development in companies. Accurate and appropriate initiative for HEC business school, that has scheduled and organized the conference on its campus, with several main players from MNC’s.Obviously a daily mindset I hope for huge companies, that want to “empower” their pyramide of business, and involve themselves by sending back wealth from richest markets to poorest targets, to give up with breakdown between rich and poor…in our final dream of “one world”. Giant building site, isn’t it?
Talking about project, resources saving, medecine equity, media involvement in taking care of desert zones, balancing between students, scientists, experts and executives, two days to make a kick-off for energies, social, resources threats in our planet.

For example, water…
Taking care for rain to come (if we stare at power of only nature in bringing water!), there’s lots of wasted water that stand to be used in an endless cycle. “Water is a local problem”, yes, but rain is everywhere…The main problem is how can we bring them from zones that are near water sources to ones that don’t have any or not really much?
Water can be a source of medical troubles too, not because of quality but underlining that it’s sometimes a rare resource, and too few is a real danger, for some populations.
Seas? well what do we stand to use water from seas, to generate human resources? WaterPyramide, good initiative for bottom of the pyramide people to provide water and energy with a huge plastic pyramide, that transform hot sun effects into droplets by steam effect…. and then into water…Cute? The main problem from BOP markets, comes from price adaptation…Some say that “it’s not a problem of money, nor of public aids too”. But from production to end user consumer, it seems to be an ongoing value chain, adding costs…to consumer affordability. Freeness? look at the freeness model all around the world (web?), free creates value…Shoul water be free? it is, but no balanced supplied on each spot of the planet…Who has to pay for the pipes, the transportation? Should everybody has to move to “water supplied zones” only…?

Good initiative of business school, corps and NGO Corporate Social Responsabilities mindsetting to work much better together, and formerly starting to cope with this serious threat, that could be the next economic war. Long life to such involvements and innovations.

Who knows who came first? brands or customers? What we can say is that none of them can exist and sustain without the other. But brands that want to keep their customers “safe” for a long time, one day started to think: well, what about if I decided to care now more closer, about my customers…;-) ? Yeah, no big deal, in fact. But why?

If we look at several argues that lead a company to do so, we have:

– economics needs: customers are now more than stakeholders but close to “shareholders” – we can say that even having any stocks of the company, they draw the line for the brand by their buyings-; they decide to stop or go with fidelity, and have a strong responsability on brand doom. If the customer changes by consuming a brand (in his habits, social behavior…), the brand can be changed too by customers advises: glory or death?

– social effects: brand needs to play a social role, in the several uses it can provide (new we hope…). Making happiness with a new product needs high skill, but make it real and exploit it in a bulk place is another goal. If the customer reaches such nirvana, he can make it viral to others, changing the face of society

– satisfy a need, that was not until this moment: achievement, success, purposed to targets, and accepted by customers. Brand has skills it can exploit, knows how to do it, knows how to promote it, making a real economic exchange: money against user benefit.

– customers that come from others: virality, buzz, leads brand to sell its products, targeting early adopters: customers to follow-up, by their fidelity will be connected to their real interest for the brand…caught, but not for the whole life…

We learned now that, by individual behaviors that grows far, “acting consumer”, wishes to be THE customer and not A customer among several ones. Rumours, buzz, advises, forums…we see now new shapes for relation between customers and brands, that is growing up each day more. Beyond classical relation between “brand/agency/targets”. Emergency and likeness to express ourselves create other links, that brands can’t see, out of traditional medias : social sharing, communities, collaboration, equal point-of-view and advices are lots of disguised powers, that without any violence, can burst and shoot down brands, without they see it come.

Customer relationship is born. Because some brands want to keep their customers alive and active (weird isn’t it ;-). Quick growth for call centers, in several countries shows us the attention that has been created to exchanges and advises. Relation is not one way anymore, let the new codes come in, and damn to who can’t see them. Social web changes the value chain about knowledge, experts, official speakers and carry out other speech spaces, and lead to failure traditional behaviors: when you want now an information in the quickest way, who can you trust…web. And who writes on the web? Anyone. And before having a question, there’s now already an answer…Magic isn’t it?

According to IBM global business study about consumers, quest for the best price still works…and a good reason to be advised, guided by other buyers. And by the way, to be fed up with a brand, change and provide infidelity. The central fact for concil, prescription and advice is real: now, everybody knows all about everything, in the same time…What was a strategic advantage, few years ago: “information before everyone”; that was. How can brands can manage with the new situation?
Underlying, comes the sustainable HR concepts…Brands that take care of their customers can change them into “powersellers”: a happy and satisfied consumer is so a salesman who sleeps but can wake up as a brand’s soldier. Convincing neighborhood, circle of friends and family. That is to say as doubtless a high potential leverage of conquest for market share and new customers.
Let’s figure out the two faces of customer relationship: a satisfied customer can talk to average 3 or 4 close leads ; an unsatisfied can do it with more than 10, if he’s really upset…And you would still ignore that?

Let me introduce you to Kano’s model graph, illustrated with 3 concepts: unavoidable attempts of customers, normal ones and unsaid. Each of them have a trigger level.

First of all, the basic ones (unavoidable) must be satisfied, supplied to a customer because they are obvious…They are not a real leverage for satisfaction but if you don’t get them…be careful about reactions.
The second ones (performance needs) are explained and requested by the customers, clearly. And satisfaction is directly linked to level of what is supplied: exact proportion. It’s a priority field of development in the consumer satisfaction, for sure.
Finally, last but not least, we go in a psychic face value, because it’s time for surprises! Consumers love to be surprised…and even for a hidden need, the revelation can provide such added satisfaction, that it can improve the brand attraction.

Customers, powersellers when they are satisfied….a real strategic goal if we consider the cost for new consumers. A real aim for fidelity and assets value: not financial ones, but customers, those who write the story of the brand. A strategic key to new markets, with new kind of attention to power of filled and satisfied relations. Are we going to still buy only products or services…?
No more now, we want to buy relation…

Following my last adventures about sales (here), I’ve never grew up thinking “tomorrow, I’ll be a salesman”; not at all. Nor I’ve never lived in an environment with some (no parents on sales business, no brothers/sisters), some friends joined this career later, but no really influences had prepared me to be, in some ways, ‘in the track’ to. But I did. Several days after my previous education, it came, day after day, not that I had no guide – in fact I met some important and awesome people in these skills -, but as if I always prepared to, a kind of doom, no curse at all, just destiny.

In fact, sales jobs are specialist ones, against all beliefs effect on our lives. That’s probably one of the main reasons, anyone can’t be a salesman…Why?

First, when you have a family, you’re always out, travelling by train, car, plane, collecting nowhere destinations and empty hotels; lonely dinners, lonely nights, early wake up, in a certain way, similar to priest loneliness and hopes…You begin to pray for tomorrow’s sales, and have nightmares of white paper and failed sales…

Second, and added to loneliness, nobody believes in your intelligence, in the fact that you’re programed to sell (anything you want!), and one suppose, you’re just good enough to, but not really more. A modern warrior, infantry, keeping the lines, always at war. You must find another reason to believe it’s a noble job (fortunately, real salesman knows with experience how to cope with it and find lots of pleasure and happiness in their daily life!). It’s sometimes hard to be loved to, by your invading mind, big mouth, and teeth too white (!).

Third, you have to be patient, while you’re obliged to listen all customers problems, hoping at the end of the tunnel, one of them will order you, for your talent and understandings. It’s not obvious everyone can spend times to try to understand, thoughts and miseries of people. But closer climate becomes a trust situation, more sales you will be able to do. Look at what’s up on social networks -even if there’s nothing to buy/sell, what I often ask to me…-; no trust, no exchange, no chat, no answer. No contact, no friends. That is. A kind of confident, before being advisor, doctor…and sometimes best friend.

Look at the final cut: that famous art, selling. It’s a matter of trust. And not anybody can say, he’s trusty for sure. Trust is a reward, you can’t buy it, I think. So, whatever your intentions, you have to work for it, to get the tools and be the special confident. Be the one who knows all about his customers, when they are, but before too; analyzing personality, to structure, adapt your talk, prepare to argue hard, but to put yourself at the customer’s place; we’re all users of anything, and as famous quote “don’t do others what you don’t want you others do”. It’s a deadly final art in fact, lots of people depends on your skills, in companies.

Now, I made my mind, managed sales teams, lead to business development – the other style of selling with BtoB relationship – but I know what “selling” means, and all the background behind. Believe me it’s a awesome job for who knows discovering tricks&tips and decide to invest for a while. But one thing I’m sure now, is that job is not for everybody. It’s part of the dream to become famous, rich and respected, but prepare you to the hardline before, with simplicity, care and wide opened mind. It’s core of the job, missing it can throw you away and leave you a bitter taste in your career…

Salesman is a hard job you know. But customer is too. And just like husband and wife, it’s the couple of the year !

Be careful about your neighbourhood, friends, family…customers. There are not invicible, there’s a no way track, a dead end job where economics, troubles and unstability may drive them. Selling is an art, giving pleasure, uses and products where one can buy it. It’s unbelievable how it can be a burst way to explode ourselves, in achievement, goals and even philosophy. But one can take the trap, if you’re not advised, blinded by ambition and foolish games. Let me introduce you to another plan, in more clever path, with ABC of selling maze…

Let’s consider that, with “no target, no customers…”; what is it all about ? You can run, like a nut dog for quantity obsession, “raping” customers (who are not in fact, because they didn’t choose to be…), giving more than they need and want. Think about it: when you start to shoot, first you stare at the target. If you don’t, you fail. When you imagine to sell, it’s the same music…if you don’t target the audience, you won’t find the best customers, those who are going to buy more, and more longer with fidelity. But you will sell anything, to anyone, breaking the brand integrity, and making your action a short time effect. OK you decided to shoot in a more accurate way. you get the target ready…

Well, you’re tired because you targeted all that moved, and still have no sales…Why ? “no customers, no sales“, it’s obvious. When you targeted, selected some islands of potential buyers, you must now talk to them…ranking them by parts, marketing items : age, job, potential wages, household with or without children – don’t forget they are real agents of potential spendings -, activities, hobbies, where and how they live, and so long. You start the famous ranking and segmentation, that is going to be the next milestone of your selling plan. Not for pleasure, but just because you don’t talk to a 10 year’s old boy as you do with his parents or grandparents…And even if the product is the same – I suppose it’s not, but anyway! -, the way you’re going to sell it and to talk about its qualities, is obviously the same way…Several paths for several customers, but for the same product…You start as well to write some selling bullet points for salesforce: presentation, pros and cons, selling notes. You enforced the tools, ready for the next step…

“No products, no sales…” ; that is…have you identified the right ones, is there enough quantity in stocks, what is the speed of turnover, and production cycle ; are you limited, have you to select how many to sell or can you sell to anybody ? yes, you know like me, that a good salesman can even sell a product that doesn’t exist…;-) ; but that’s not a responsable behavior: you will shoot once, then you’ll be out of order by your bad boy reputation…Don’t forget the triple AAA, in Coca Cola worldwide strategy: Anywhere, Aware, and Available.

Take it easy, still few steps to success. More difficult than ever…”no method, no sales“. You’re strong like a bull, enforced by tools, products, lots of targets and selling notes. Anyway, how are you’re going to cope with it, do you know all the story of customer’s needs ? It’s like you drive a car as you’re blind. Full crash for sure, end of the story. You have to spend time to understand the “needs” of your customers. They will thank you a thousand times, more than the product itself !

The method is simply, listen…Nowadays, we forget too much listening our environment: advises, tastes, behaviors -yes body’s langage too-, experiences. It’s not hazard case to be there in a collective thematical website, yes, but web2.0 settlements, not at all, it’s just to share, stare, listen…yes practice what we call “active listening” to note the tinest detail about what the story of the product might be for your customer. Not for another. For this one. Each customer has a story to tell, considering the product’s finally use. Before closing the deal, don’t forget to know the right story; if you don’t, you will be hated first, but the brand you work for, will get a serious kick in its reputation…

Ready ? ready for a long story, embracing the job, ready to spend time and time, hearing stories, troubles, but hopes and destinies of future good deals, good sales. Sales you won’t never forget, you’ll be proud of. Sales customers want and call back. Because, products are there to be used, but there to tell stories too…Be a part of these stories, be the main character, the prince which saves the bride.